Step, Step, Spin
by OhBreadsticks
Summary: Jareth was never one to simply sweep Sarah off her feet. JarethSarah. Twoshot
1. Music box

**A/N: Sierra wanted me to write something happy. So here it is!....I think.**  


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Humming a soft tune as she placed the last dozen of Disney Enchanted paper cups in the trash bin, Sarah looked up and stretched her back, looking around at the nearly cleaned living room, much more tidied up than the havoc it was a couple of hours ago. Today had been Elliot Williams' 8th birthday, and since Karen and dad's house was a mess due to the new nursery they were building for the third step-sibling on the way, Sarah had generously lent the house for the party. Being born when Sarah was 17, Elliot had been lucky to only know the more mature, gentle side of Sarah Williams, the Sarah who had long ago learnt a lesson about the power of words, taking things for granted, and how not everything was as it seemed.

Carrying the dirty dishes to the sink and turning on the faucet, Sarah started to sway her hips and drumming her fingers to the sound of the music playing softly in the living room, and as she waited for the water to warm up she closed her eyes and remembered opulent swishing dresses, a crystal ballroom and strong arms leading her steps, the thick scent of cinnamon, leather and exotic spices Sarah was sure she would never find - not in this world, at least.

Her thoughts then went to the living room, where a music box sat in her coffee table playing the melody she knew all too well, and Sarah vaguely recalled the morning she awoke to the sound of a song that only belonged in her past - or in her dreams - and went down the stairs to find the beautiful, albeit simple, wood and silver music box sitting in her kitchen counter with a silver barn owl encrusted on the lid and Celtic designs carved throughout the box. Throwing a knowing glance at the glitter surrounding the offering, Sarah had a pretty good guess as to who had sent her this generous gift.

So, every evening, as Sarah lounged around the house with any of her preferred drinks cradled in her soft hands and long fingers - be it wine, tea or hot cocoa - she would keep the precious music box playing, making sure it was reflected in her living room mirror.

Done with the dishes, Sarah glanced to the clock in the oven and stretched her lips into a contented smile, going to the other side of the kitchen to dry her hands on the dry dishrag hanging pm the wall. As she removed her apron and tossed it to the nearest bench, she entered the living room.

Normally, after cleaning her whole house after a birthday party as big as this one, all with the confetti, paper cups and the _glitter_ - she should be feeling pretty tired by now, and would want nothing but her favourite lemon tea and Merlin's comforting presence by her feet as she curled up in her comfortable couch, reading one of her newest books or one of her old favourites.

But today, after seeing young girls with wide dreamy eyes and princess dresses, cooing about balls and enchanted castles with their prince charming as they played with the confetti and painted themselves with _glitter, _as she recalled the smell of cinnamon, leather and expensive spices and the melody that belonged in mask balls and crystals - for now, all Sarah wanted was to feel like she was 15 again, clad with jewelry and silk dresses, dancing in the arms of someone powerful and mysterious, who didn't treat her as a petulant child but as a woman to be feared and respected and _loved_.

With that thought in mind, Sarah rolled up the sleeves of her blouse and removed her ballerina flats, and five minutes later she straightened up with her hands on her hips to admire her handiwork. The coffee table, the couches and the chair had been dragged until they rested against the wall, giving more space in the middle of the room. Had Karen been there, she would immediately complain about how the furniture would scratch paint marks on the smooth white wall, but Sarah didn't care. Karen wasn't the person Sarah wanted there in her living room right now.

Placing her hand on an invisible shoulder before her and holding her right one in mid-air, as if she was indeed holding someone's hand, Sarah took a deep breath, and started to dance.

After a few minutes fumbling on the carpeted floor and the occasional collision with the furniture, which resulted in many toes that would be very bruised tomorrow, Sarah opened her eyes and dropped her arms with a frustrated huff. Reaching for the now silent music box, Sarah twisted the wind-up key as tight as it could to continue playing. A soft whine coming from behind her alerted the brunette that she was being watched. Turning around, she raised an eyebrow at Merlin as he tilted his head in an expression that clearly translated to: _What the hell are you doing?_

"What?" She demanded in an exasperated voice. Merlin merely stretched his old body on the floor and rested his head on his front paws, blinking at her.

"Don't you give me that look. If I could, I'd turn you into my dance partner with-" _magic.'_ Pursing her lips into a thin line, she turned to the shelf by the fireplace and grabbed Merlin's rubber toy. "...Never mind." Pulling back her arm, she threw the toy as far as she could, nodding as Merlin sprung up from the floor and dashed across the house to catch the squeaky toy. "There you go. Peace and quiet." A few moments later, Sarah continued with her make believe dance, this time paying attention to the hazardous, still furniture - but maintaining her eyes closed.

After all, if she couldn't see there was no one in front of her, she could pretend there there was with less difficulty.

Just as she was ready to finally give up and return to her dull reality, there was a shift in the air, the click of a window opening, the whisper of dust -

_(glitter, tra la la?)_

brushing her arms and cheeks, and the sudden wave of an addictive smell of cinnamon, leather and spices flooding her senses. Warm air fanned her face, the imaginary grip on her waist and hand became very much real, and her once uncertain and fumbling steps were swiftly guided into a smooth, fluid dance, as if she was born to dance to the sound of this one song. Wondering if she had finally lost it, or if her imagination was just _that_ good, she hesitantly flexed her fingers, gasping at the feel of hard muscle covered in warm leather. Before she could stop herself, Sarah opened her eyes and snapped her head up.

Mismatched blue eyes looked down at her, glowing with mirth as the curl of his lips equally betrayed his amusement.

"One would think," His deep, smooth voice drawled out as he led Sarah to spin around. "That this kind of dance is meant to be done in pairs, precious." Returning to the smooth, strong cradle of his arms, all she could do was to gape at him with a somewhat dazed look.

"What's the matter, pet?" He tutted, never breaking his stance as he led her throughout the room that Sarah could have sworn was a lot smaller a few minutes ago. "Cat ate your tongue?"

Gathering the mush that used to be her wits, Sarah flexed her hand around his, feeling him flex back.

"Jareth."

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**A/N: Please don't kill me?**

Guys, I hate to do this, but it must be done. In my other laby fic, Lèse Majesté, around 15 people favourited and even more put it on alert, but I only have 7 reviews. So, the next - and final - chapter is already half done, but I'll only post it when I have 10 reviews.  
I'm so sorry guys! :(


	2. Peach schnapps

**A/N: First of all, thanks so much for the reviews and constructive criticism! You guys are awesome.**

**Second of all, I'M SO SORRY!!**

**Most of the reason why I held my chapter hostage was to see if it worked to get people to review, and it really DID work (I got more than 10 reviews in a day, so yay, right?) but I felt awful, because I've been on for 4 **_**freaking years**_** and I never stooped that low!**

**Also, to those who noticed the grammar fails and my particular slip with the 'cat got/ate your tongue' expression, I apologize. My first language isn't English, in fact, far from it, so I have constant issues with the language. .**

**I really apologize guys.**

**It's the last chapter! I want to thank you guys for being so supportive, you guys here in the Laby community are amazing!**

**I hope you like the last chapter.**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to Pip, to celebrate the victory of her self esteem! :D**

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If Jareth wasn't pressed oh so close to her and holding one of her hands, Sarah would have face-palmed.

_'Smooth Williams, smooth. You haven't seen the man in ten years and all you manage to say is his name? Oh, how the mighty have fallen.'_

The Goblin King, however, seemed very interested and amused at her lack of articulation.

"I'm surprised you remember my name." Finally, the defiant woman that only appeared in his presence stirred awake and was more that satisfied to be out after a decade locked up in the confines of her mind. Raising an eyebrow, her face shifted into the expression of a haughty, hard-headed _winner._

"Would you rather have me call you Goblin King?" Something flashed in his eyes and he brought his hand down, securing both on her hips - the only warning given to her - before Sarah felt herself being lifted from the floor and spun around.

As she was raised, anchored by the strength of his arms and his roguish smile alone, there was yet another, more pronounced shift in the air, this one feeling like it wrapped around her body; her torso felt slightly more constricted and her legs felt free and nearly naked. Before she could comprehend these changes, Jareth lowered his arms, returning her to the ground, but not before Sarah glanced at the mirror and gasped. It took her several moments to realize that the girl in the mirror held in the Goblin King's arms was indeed her. Gone were the white blouse and jeans with the mismatched sports socks, to be replaced by and intricate white dress that would be the more modest and discrete version of the ball gown she once wore, but still remarkably beautiful. Her hair was also changed, decorated with white ribbons, pearls and small crystal ornaments.

Taking another moment to wiggle her toes, she noticed that her feet were now completely bare against the carpet. Which was fine, because Sarah always preferred to dance with bare feet and she was certain that Jareth wouldn't stomp on her toes.

"Absolutely not." His murmured voice might as well have been a shout, because Sarah still managed to jump, and she was convinced she could have hit the ceiling hadn't the Fae been holding her down. Looking up at the Goblin King's face, Sarah's expression was one of confusion until she recalled that he was answering to her previous question.

"Very well then, _Jareth_," As she stressed out his name the man's face broke into a contented smile, and the fire blazing in his eyes made Sarah blush and fidget nervously. Clearing her throat, she continued.

"What brings his royal majesty to my humble abode? I thought that since you had no power over me meant you couldn't come to me uninvited." Her tone wasn't harsh nor meant to offend, and Sarah managed to relax when she saw in Jareth's face that he had understood her curiosity as he chuckled.

"Oh, but you _did_ invite me, pet. The mind is a very complex thing, you see, and sometimes people make wishes without even realizing it. You wished for a dance partner, and I obliged. Isn't that generous?" The last sentence made Sarah flinch, coiling back slightly as if she had been struck; but the Goblin King would have none of that and quickly pulled her flush against him, with one arm around her torso and his hand cradling her head as they now swayed from side to side, as if the moment they stop dancing would break a spell of some sort that seemed to fall over them. To occupy her mind, Sarah began to count the ticking of the clock in the kitchen. On the seventh tick, she finally spoke softly against his collarbone.

"Quite. Quite generous, indeed. Thank you." Had he tightened his arm just a tad bit more around her, and Sarah would be squirming as the air left her lungs.

"...Sarah, I-"

"-How's everything back in the Labyrinth?" She felt the need to interrupt, she _had_ to stop him. It was not in Jareth's nature to apologize, and Sarah did not want an apology from him. After throwing his generosity and his feelings back at his face, and not only leaving him rejected, defeated and humiliated, but also his beloved domain turned to _shambles_ - Sarah felt she should be the one apologizing.

He seemed to understand what she was thinking, and ran his fingers through her hair in a silent 'thank you'.

"All is fairly well. We're getting ready for the Mayday festivities approaching. Your friends would be helping with the preparations, I should think."

Sarah's face broke into an elated grin, and her head shot up so fast it almost knocked painfully against Jareth's jaw.

"Hoggle! Ludo! Sir Didymus! Oh, and Ambrosius! How are they?!" Laughter bubbled from inside the Goblin King's chest, spinning them around as he smirked at her antics.

"Sir Didymus has left for a while to travel around the Underground on his quest to 'find a worthy opponent to joust with and win the heart of a fair maiden!'. Not to worry though, his...trusty seed and Ludo went with him to keep the old fox out of any trouble. As for Hogwart-"

"-Hoggle-"

"-he is still the same insolent, yet useful gardener and gatekeeper to the Labyrinth." He sniffed in disdain. "Though, considering his numerous trespassings of my good will and patience, I often picture myself tipping him headfirst into the Bog of Eternal Stench."

She threw him what could only be described as an alarmed look.

"You wouldn't."

"To my greatest bemusement, no, I would not. Taking in consideration that I did not punish your companions after they defied me ten years ago, it wouldn't be _fair_ for me to punish them now for something as petty as a disrespectful attitude towards their ruler. But that doesn't mean I can't scar them for life."

Sarah didn't rise to the bait at his blunt teasing, and her constricted as realization crashed down on her. A weight she didn't know she had suddenly lifted from her shoulders, and stepping closer to Jareth, she slid the hand on his shoulder down to his arm and gripped it. Raising a eyebrow down at her, Jareth's eyes were full with curiosity at the sudden change in the atmosphere.

"...Y-You didn't punish them?"

"No."

"Why not? They were your subjects, you were their King and they - "

"-I would have upset you."

Through his eyes, she could see a feeling she could not easily identify without giving herself a heart attack. She could feel in the burning of her cheeks that she must have looked embarrassed at something.

Inside, Sarah was soaring.

It was like all the time there was a part of her mind that shoved down any train of thought that would make her realize the feelings Jareth showed to her at the last seconds before they departed were indeed real, and not some plan to confuse her and make her lose the game. She felt as if the band holding those thoughts down had suddenly snapped, and every moment, word, dream and gesture came flooding back to her. It was all too overwhelming.

Letting her head fall against his shoulder, the brunette released the breath she had been holding back, flexing the fingers around his arm one more time to keep herself grounded as the world swayed too dangerously under her feet.

"Do you still love me?" She mumbled gently against his shoulder.

"I think you're not sober enough to take me seriously - let me rephrase that - to disregard them." He said flatly. Sarah completely ignored what one could assume to be bitterness and anger in his voice, and instead focused on the gentle motions of his fingers as he ran them through her hair.

"Did you pour peach schnapps in my tea?" Throwing his head back, the King of the Goblins laughed for the first time in a long time, and Sarah closed her eyes briefly to bask in the pleasant sound.

"No, pet."

"Then I am sober." For moments, he said nothing.

"...Yes."

She indulged herself in the warmth of his arms and his scent, as they just stood there, still dancing, which brought to attention that the music box had yet to stop playing.

"...You know, Sarah, my offer still stands."

This was quickly followed by Sarah's glare as she shoved him to no avail, only managing to sway him back and forth as she glared at him.

"You're insufferable! Didn't you learn your lesson ten years ago?!"

_(--just fear me, love me; do as I say, and I will be your slave--)_

Despite his remarkable temper and pride, the blond Fae merely rolled his eyes. "I meant the part where you became my queen, Sarah dear."

"...Oh." Right then, Sarah felt very stupid.

"Though the part where you love me could be an added bonus.

"Ah, yes. What if I didn't love you, my liege?"

"Well, precious, I am a man who believes love can also be taught. If that weren't the case, I would have bogged half of my goblins."

"Judging by how few of them I saw, I assumed you had already done that."

"No, the Goblin population is very scarce. Most of them perish during the times they try to teach the chicken how to fly. It's a terrible time of the year, Goblins fall from everywhere."

"Why don't you forbid these activities from being held?"

"I would, but it's much too entertaining to watch beneath the safety of a roof."

"You're terrible."

"Absolutely, my dear. I _am_ the terrifying Goblin King, after all."

"Ah, yes."

"But I am afraid I have to postpone the part where I whisk you, my fair maiden, away to my castle."

"Yes. There are things I need to take care of first." Her words became slurred. and she suddenly felt very, _very_ tired.

"When you're done, just call me, pet." There was something sweet and soft pressing against her lips, and then Jareth's voice was right by her ear, words whispered to her before blackness consumed her.

"You know the right words."

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When Sarah woke up the next morning, she did so with an oddly pleasant ringing sound echoing in her eardrums and feeling refreshed. Memories from the previous day replayed over and over in her head as she strolled around the house, pausing every time she passed through a mirror to see her flushed cheeks, glowing eyes, disheveled hair and her skin sprinkled with glitter and the smell of cinnamon. As she drank the tea she brewed yesterday, Sarah noticed two things.

One, the music box was gone.

And two: the tea tasted like peach.

_(--my kingdom as great--)_

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**A/N: Aaaaaand, this was it.**

**-dodges flying chairs and bricks- I am not happy with this chapter, actually, I have major issues with my writing, and muffin knows how many times I edited every single paragraph in this.**

**I am thinking of more Labyrinth fics on the way, so you'll be hearing from me again! :)  
**


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